For the first time in 15 years, a new drug promises to slow Alzheimer’s

BRITISH scientists hailed “spectacular” results from a new Alzheimer’s drug last night. Academics believe clinical trial results show it has true potential for slowing the incurable dementia condition.

The drug could be available for use by patients within five years (Image: GETTY STOCK)

The drug could be available for use by patients within five years.

Experts said that the new treatment was the first significant step forward in the fight against the disease in 15 years.

The drug inhibits the build-up of the toxic protein which causes the brain deterioration associated with the disease. In the trial tests the new antibody compound, called BAN2401, significantly slowed rates of mental decline among sufferers.

The “exciting” development was unveiled at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Chicago and provoked an enthusiastic reaction from the scientific community.

Related articles

Alzheimer’s is triggered when abnormal levels of the naturally occurring protein “beta-amyloid” clump together to form plaques between brain cells which disrupt their function.

Memory is typically the first faculty to decline before the cruel disease lays waste to language, reasoning and behaviour.

The conference heard that in a Phase II human trial, BAN2401 had been shown to prevent the build-up of beta-amyloid clumps.

The Phase II trial is expected to be followed by two Phase III trials in which drug is tested on a larger group of patients and for longer.

If successful after around four years, they will hopefully lead to approval for clinical use on patients, meaning BAN2401 could be generally available by 2023.

Professor Clive Ballard, the internationally respected dementia researcher based at the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “This is by far the most promising result we’ve seen of

a Phase II trial.

“It has the potential to provide an effective treatment for people with dementia.

“The results on amyloid reduction and cognition are really spectacular.

The study involved 856 people with either mild cognitive impairment or early onset Alzheimer’s (Image: GETTY STOCK)

These are encouraging findings and suggest BAN2401 may be able to effectively tackle Alzheimer’s diseaseprocesses and, crucially, make a meaningful difference to the symptoms of people with the disease

David Reynolds

“We do need a larger trial to see whether the benefits are confirmed, but this is genuinely exciting.”

No new treatments have been licensed for Alzheimer’s – which combined with all other types of dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer – in almost two decades.

The study involved 856 people with either mild cognitive impairment or early onset Alzheimer’s who were given five different strengths of BAN2401 in experiments designed to test the effectiveness of each dose.

The highest dose, 10 milligrams per kilogram of a patient’s body weight given intravenously once a fortnight, showed the most dramatic results.

Cognitive decline was reduced by as much as 47 per cent.

At the end of the 18-month trial, 81 per cent of those given the drug ceased showing excess levels of damaging beta-amyloid in brain scans and showed instead normal levels.

Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “These are encouraging findings and suggest BAN2401 may be able to effectively tackle Alzheimer’s diseaseprocesses and, crucially, make a meaningful difference to the symptoms of people with the disease.

“While there is research still to do and we are yet to see the full results from this trial, we are optimistic about these new findings and, along with the countless families who have felt the effects of Alzheimer’s, await to hear what the next steps will be following this promising announcement,” he said.

Such positive early results mean BAN2401, a collaboration between American biotech giant Biogen and Japanese drug maker Eisai, could receive almost immediate conditional approval.

It means that the breakthrough drug could begin to be marketed early and further large-scale trials accelerated.

Doug Brown, chief policy and research officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said yesterday’s published data would see significant interest from neurologists wanting to put their patients in future trials.

He added: “It’s been 15 years since the last dementia drug treatment was developed so any breakthrough in finding a new way to tackle this devastating condition is extremely welcome.”

The stunning results follow a string of crushing disappointments in Alzheimer’s drug development with at least nine major late-stage clinical trials failing in the last decade alone.

The new data surprised experts because after 12 months it looked as if the drug would become the latest failure when at first it proved not to be effective.

The new results have given researchers renewed confidence that seeking treatments to clear the brain of beta-amyloid is the way to finally conquer the disease.

7 things you should do EVERY day to stave off dementia

Tue, July 18, 2017

Memory boost: Seven things you should do every day to stave off dementia.

Figures show that there are now more than 50 million people suffering with dementia worldwide, the majority of whom have Alzheimer’s.

But by 2050 that figure is expected to double to more than 100 million.

One in three people born this year is expected to develop dementia at some point of their lives.

Earlier this year, Dame Barbara Windsor’s husband Scott Mitchell revealed the 80-year-old Carry On and EastEnders legend had been battling Alzheimer’s for four years.

And Hollywood actress Carey Mulligan, 33, told how she is scared of being struck down with dementia, the condition that had claimed the life of her grandmother.

The British Oscar-nominated Pride And Prejudice star watched Margaret live with the illness for 16 years.

Towards the end she was unable to speak except for a few words in her native Welsh.

She died last year at 91.

Bafta-award winning Carey said that the fear of developing the disease was behind her campaign for more money for research.

She said: “Recently, I was asked if I fear dementia. My answer was yes.”

Drug is complex process says Dr Routledge (Image: NC)

Comment - Dr Carol Routledge

These results are positive and must be viewed with optimism

DEMENTIA is a devastating condition, affecting more than 850,000 people in the UK and touching the lives of many more.

Although some drugs can relieve symptoms, they don’t help everyone and ultimately, they don’t stop the underlying diseases – most commonly Alzheimer’s – from progressing in the brain.

We urgently need better ways to treat these diseases, so it’s no surprise that positive clinical trial results will be seized on by many.

Now we have a new potential candidate BAN2401.

The drug targets amyloid, a protein long-implicated in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s.

Pharmaceutical companies Biogen and Eisai have presented encouraging data from a Phase II trial of BAN2401 in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.

The drug shows a clear effect on memory and thinking over 18 months, even without the use of complex statistical tests.

The rate of decline in thinking for patients on a high dose of the drug was 47 per cent slower than people taking a dummy treatment and amyloid in the brain was cleared to normal levels.

Given the numbers of people treated in this study, the results are positive and must be taken with optimism.

There were some side effects and it will be very important for future trials to explore these further.

Drug discovery is a complex process and BAN2401 will have to be tested even more thoroughly for safety before it can reach patients.

There’s no doubt these results are a positive step forward, future trials should explore a wider range of doses in a larger number of people.

If BAN2401 does reach this stage in future, it may provide benefit for different types and different stages of dementia – at this stage it has been tested in people with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s.

However, it is not likely to be a golden bullet to solve all dementias. So we must continue ongoing efforts to identify new drug targets.

The mood at the Chicago conference this week is one of hope, with scientists worldwide showcasing important steps.

I am hugely encouraged that the dementia drug discovery process has learnt from previous unsuccessful trials with new treatments on the horizon.

With promising trials under way and efforts like the Alzheimer’s Research UK Drug Discovery Alliance uncovering new and innovative drug targets, we’re moving ever closer to achieving this goal.